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A review by vr_alyssa
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
2013 review
There is only one reason I wanted to read this book, because the trailer of the movie interested me and I wanted to read it before I saw it. Just because I like picturing things before they are mapped out for me. I like comparing my imagination with those of others. Same reason I read Beautiful Creatures (though that movie sucked and I'm hoping this one won't).
I expected myself to like this book because it involves love between teenagers, maybe a love triangle and a lot of hate, confusion and frustration.
And I was right. I loved this book. More than I expected, but that's only a good thing. I adore the way Clary is. She's feisty, determined, loving and a fighter even though she's just a young girl. She wants her mom back no matter what. Lily Collins (she plays Clary in the movie) talks about it in an interview, she said: "You're cute and all but I have to find my mom!" Clary likes Jace but her mom still is the priority, she's not getting distracted from her goal.
She's introduced to a whole new world. Her world is turned upside down. Everything she thought she knew wasn't the truth. Her mom wasn't who she said she was. Clary's handling that really well. She's scared and confused but focused. She's a good set of eyes to see the story through.
I like the other characters too. How they surprise you, in good and bad ways. The story is unpredictable, unlike I expected. I thought I got the essence of the story before I read it. But I was wrong. I like being surprised.
Jace is also a very interesting character. He's an asshole. He might have a good reason to be the way he is, but it's no excuse. He doesn't listen to others. He is suicidal and doesn't think about what might happen. I was very irritated by this character. I fell in love with him, because Clary does. But aside from that I was very annoyed by his ways. Luckily he's a good match for Clary and vice versa. If it wasn't for Clary he would have been a lot worse.
I feel for his character. He seems lost because ever since he was ten, he didn't know where he belonged, and now that he does know he still feels lost because everything he thought he was, he isn't anymore. Nothing seems to make sense to him. I'm scared what might happen to his character later on.
There a few downsides to this story though. I read it a second time just to be able to see how it is without my blind love for the story and I was a little disappointed. A few aspects of the story remind me of another story I used to love. Namely, Harry Potter. The library, the uses of steles the fact that they are all teenagers trying to solve something that should be handled by adults. It was very Harry, Hermione, Ron -like. I loved it but it's just so familiar. At the end when they figure out who Valentine is, it's all a bit too confusing. You get a lot of information in a little time. And it annoyed me that no one seemed to listen, but me.
I was also very irritated by Simon. He's a nice guy and all but it irritated me to read about a love triangle again. Certainly because he could have done something about it before she had met Jace, now he only made her situation worse. Like she didn't already lost her mom and Luke before he walked out. I got why he felt that why but it just was cruel. I was very annoyed by the way Simon was in the story.
There is only one reason I wanted to read this book, because the trailer of the movie interested me and I wanted to read it before I saw it. Just because I like picturing things before they are mapped out for me. I like comparing my imagination with those of others. Same reason I read Beautiful Creatures (though that movie sucked and I'm hoping this one won't).
I expected myself to like this book because it involves love between teenagers, maybe a love triangle and a lot of hate, confusion and frustration.
And I was right. I loved this book. More than I expected, but that's only a good thing. I adore the way Clary is. She's feisty, determined, loving and a fighter even though she's just a young girl. She wants her mom back no matter what. Lily Collins (she plays Clary in the movie) talks about it in an interview, she said: "You're cute and all but I have to find my mom!" Clary likes Jace but her mom still is the priority, she's not getting distracted from her goal.
She's introduced to a whole new world. Her world is turned upside down. Everything she thought she knew wasn't the truth. Her mom wasn't who she said she was. Clary's handling that really well. She's scared and confused but focused. She's a good set of eyes to see the story through.
I like the other characters too. How they surprise you, in good and bad ways. The story is unpredictable, unlike I expected. I thought I got the essence of the story before I read it. But I was wrong. I like being surprised.
Jace is also a very interesting character. He's an asshole. He might have a good reason to be the way he is, but it's no excuse. He doesn't listen to others. He is suicidal and doesn't think about what might happen. I was very irritated by this character. I fell in love with him, because Clary does. But aside from that I was very annoyed by his ways. Luckily he's a good match for Clary and vice versa. If it wasn't for Clary he would have been a lot worse.
I feel for his character. He seems lost because ever since he was ten, he didn't know where he belonged, and now that he does know he still feels lost because everything he thought he was, he isn't anymore. Nothing seems to make sense to him. I'm scared what might happen to his character later on.
There a few downsides to this story though. I read it a second time just to be able to see how it is without my blind love for the story and I was a little disappointed. A few aspects of the story remind me of another story I used to love. Namely, Harry Potter. The library, the uses of steles the fact that they are all teenagers trying to solve something that should be handled by adults. It was very Harry, Hermione, Ron -like. I loved it but it's just so familiar. At the end when they figure out who Valentine is, it's all a bit too confusing. You get a lot of information in a little time. And it annoyed me that no one seemed to listen, but me.
I was also very irritated by Simon. He's a nice guy and all but it irritated me to read about a love triangle again. Certainly because he could have done something about it before she had met Jace, now he only made her situation worse. Like she didn't already lost her mom and Luke before he walked out. I got why he felt that why but it just was cruel. I was very annoyed by the way Simon was in the story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia